Holder for thermionic tubes



March 11, 1930. w, w, ROBINSON 1,750,053

HOLDER FOR THERMIONIC TUBES Filed July 11, 192'! Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES WALTER w. nonmson,

nonnna non 'rnnnmomc mm Application filed July 1-1,

These improvements relate to holders-for thermionic tubes. The objectis to provide notabl simple, cheap and efiective'means for ho ding the tube or completing circuits I through its electrode terminals. g

In the accompanying drawings for-mi a part hereof Figure 1 is a bottom view a construction embodying, these. improvements in a highly advantageous form; Fig. 2-is a 10 top view of the. same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line of Flg. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of one of the a contact members; Fig. 5'is a more greatly enlarged fragmentary bottom View 'shbwing 15 features of the insulating plate; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional new of a modification for use where the main support isof non-insulating material Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view as on the line 7-7 of Fi.1. I

Fig. 4 shows a preferred construction of the contact member 9 complete. It is formed from a narrow strip of thin and flat -spring metal such as brass or hard copper. It has a main body portion 10 having a hole 11 for a wire connection, and is provided with a pair of integral leaf spring contact elements 12 and 13, the element 13 being pressed out of the body 10 leaving an opening 14 therein. Between the ends of the contact elements where attached there. is a hole 15 in the body 10 through which the pin-like terminal of a thermionic tube may pass. The metal marked 10 immediately around this hole 15 forms a base for the spring contacts 12 and 13 and this flange-like base is an important feature in holding the springlelements in place.

In my practice t e body member 10 is about aninch and an eighth in length, but may be shorter or longer as preferred. It is about one-fourth of an inch in width and about ten one-thousandths of an inch in thickness when made of hard rolled copper. These proportions also may vary.

The construction shown includes a piece or plate of thin sheet insulating material such as fibre, hard rubber or any one of various laminated paper insulating sheet products well known at the present time. The device P9 walls 20 flaring from 'the'endw'alls respecv is'shown as'providing for a'thermionic tube 1m. Berle] Io. 501L704.

elongated and substantially radially directed holes- 17 p in theflplate 16. Each hole 17 has; outerend:wall18 endop- 1t} an inner-end wall 19', and'it has side tiyely. These 'side walls than flare to rovlde a larger open interior to aecommo ate the tube terminal pins while preserving the theseend walls respectivel Figs. 3 and 5 showthattheleaf springelements 12 and 13 of an of the units project through an opening 1 and with a tight fit at ts end walls 18 and 19." In Fi 5the sprmg elements 12 and 13 'a'recut "o at the plate 16 to show that they are of the same w dth as thatv of, the oblong hole 17 at its ends. The springs 12 and Bare materially widely spaced apart at their attachedends, and, when ositioned in such an oblong hole. they are eld against turning, especially when they make such a'good interfit with the plate 16 at the end portionsof the opening 17.

The spring elements and their base 10" thus form a unitary contact device held against turning movements when the parts are assembled as in Fig. -3 and with other holding means overlying portions of-one side of the plate 16.

The body member 10 extends well beyond the plate 16 and may be bent away from the plane of the base as desired to facilitate attach ng a wire thereto. Other forms of wirmg terminals for the spring contact members may be employed in some aspects of the invention.

In the device of Figs. '1, 2 and 3 the contact members 9 and the insulating plate 16 were first assembled and then applied directly upon the base 22. The base 22 may be considered to be a baseboard or panel of a radio receiving set and as being of insulating material in sheet or plate form. The

base 22 is provided with four openings'23 end-walls 18and 19 at substantlallythe width of the contact springs where they lieagainst (Fig. 2) severally in alignment with the aligned openings 15 of the contact member.

9 and 17 of the plate 16. A pair of rivets 24 1 passin through holes in the plate 16 and throng corresponding holes in the base 22 bind the plate 16 firmly upon the base and clamp the respective base portions of the contact members firmly; and tightly between the ilate 16 and the asc 22. The contact mem ly in insulated relation to each other.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the base 22 as being a rectangular piece of insulating material which may be provided with holes indicated b dotted lines at 27 for attaching the base 22 to some other support. These figures therefore show a complete unit as a commercial article. The present device is employed lar ly, however, by the vmanufacturers of ra 'o instruments who appl the assembled unit of elements 9 and 16 directly upon the under side of an insulating base or panel boardas 22 on a more extensive scale. The base 22 therefore may also be considered to be such a baseboard or panel. In this latter aspect the elements 9 and 16 constitute a unitary and a complete article of commerce ready for attachment to such a baseboard .or panel in the manner illustrated and described.

Fig. 6 shows a construction in which the support is to be considered metallic, such as a sheet metal baseboard in a radlo receiving set. The units 9 and 16 are in all respects as already described. The only difference in construction is the addition of an insulating plate 31 which lies between the support 30 and the contact member 9 and late 16, thus insulating the contact members rom the metallic support and from each other. This insulating plate 30 may, for the sake of uniformit in nomenclature herein, be called the base in the construction of Fig. 6 or the plate-like element 80 plus the insulation 81 may be considered the base, such base being provided with insulation between the contact members and the plate 80. The insulation 81 (Fig. 6) has an opening 82 in alignment with the opening 15 of the contact member, and the support 80 has a relatively large 33 to accommodate the base as 84, ig. 8 of the thermionic tube.

1 contemplate as being included in the invention all such changes, departures and variations from what is thus specifically illustrated and described as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

. 1. A contact member of the character described com rising a relatively long and narrow piece 0 thin springymetal having a hole near one end and having adjacent to said hole a pair of integral sp leaves extendin substantially at right ang es from the me in which the hole is formed, said leaves being formed to contact a pin-like terminal passing through said hole, one of saidspring leaves leaving an opening therein of a shape rs as a whole are thus hcld very securesubstantially corresponding to that of the s ring leaf formed from. the metal at that p ace.

2.. In combination, a support having openin to receive the terminals of a'vacuum tu a plate of insulating material havin elongated openings therein in registry with said first-mentioned openings res cctivcly and directed outwardly, contact mcm rs, one for each of said elon ted openings, each contact member comprisin a substantially flat, long and narrow part 0 thin and springy sheet metal lying between said support and said plate and extending outwardly in the direction of said elongated openings respectively, each contact member comprising a pair of leaf-spring contact elements one of which is formed out of the body of said long and narrow part and the other of which is formed from metal at the inner end thereof, each pair of contact elements interfitting with the end walls of the elongated opening associated therewith to hold said contact member strongly against turnin and means :tree of said contact members or clampin said plate upon said support to clamp sai long and narrow parts between the plate and support.

WALTER W. ROBINSON.

formed out of body material of the 

